Sirina Paras was temporarily evicted from her home last year, and a Sunnyvale nonprofit put her up in a motel room and helped her navigate the eviction. Paras said she is grateful for the help of Sunnyvale Community Services (SCS). The 73-year-old Sunnyvale resident said she was initially evicted because a neighbor claimed she had...
Sunnyvale considers ride-share service for commuting students
Sunnyvale is looking to fill accessibility gaps in existing public transit options for residents to travel around the city, and one ride-share service is taking center stage. The Sunnyvale City Council is considering signing the city up with Silicon Valley Hopper (SV Hopper), a multi-city ride-share service that operates in Cupertino and Southern Santa Clara....
Sunnyvale school improvements hinge on March voters
Sunnyvale residents will vote on a multi-million dollar bond measure to support local school facilities this March. Measure C would help the Sunnyvale School District continue facility improvements at multiple locations, which include updating technology and retrofitting old buildings. The measure needs 55% voter approval to pass. If the measure fails, the district will be...
How Sunnyvale tackles its biggest issues
Sunnyvale’s process for proposing new policies is complex, so we’re breaking it down step by step. Sunnyvale’s “study issue” and “budget proposal” process is how the city sets new city policies and services, respectively. The city uses this process to allocate employee responsibilities and budgetary resources, and each proposed project is ranked by priority. Those...
Sunnyvale’s top priorities for 2024
Sunnyvale is hoping to finalize some of its biggest projects next year, from supporting homeless residents to putting in new sports fields. Here are some of the top projects the city’s working on: Emergency family housing Homelessness is an expansive problem across the Santa Clara County, and Sunnyvale is no exception. The Sunnyvale City Council...
Sunnyvale fire stations are getting a face-lift
Sunnyvale plans to renovate the majority of its fire stations, starting with the one that trains future firefighters. The Sunnyvale City Council on Tuesday is slated to award a more than $2 million contract to PBK Architects to begin the process of rebuilding Fire Station 2. The city is expected to allocate about $40 million...
UPDATE: Sunnyvale council denies housing development appeal
Sunnyvale officials are allowing a housing development to move forward after denying an appeal over potential exposure to cancerous chemicals. The Sunnyvale City Council voted 5-0 on Tuesday to deny an appeal over a 5.82-acre housing development at 1150-1170 Kifer Road and approve its building permits. Vice Mayor Omar Din was absent, and Councilmember Alysa...
Sunnyvale to reconsider property transfer tax ballot measure
Sunnyvale officials are considering a property transfer tax ballot measure for a second time. The Sunnyvale City Council on Tuesday voted 5-1 to discuss—at a future meeting—putting a property transfer tax on the November 2024 ballot. Councilmember Russ Melton dissented and Councilmember Alysa Cisneros was absent. Councilmembers will begin discussing the details of the tax...
Housing planned at Sunnyvale train station
Sunnyvale has greenlit a new vision for the future of the Lawrence Caltrain station that will make it more convenient for residents and workers along the transit corridor. The Sunnyvale City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted, with Councilmember Alysa Cisneros absent, to approve plans to develop two parcels totaling nearly three acres into a mixed-use...
Downtown Sunnyvale’s housing anchors the community
The stream of customers barely slowed at Bean Scene Cafe on Murphy Avenue in Sunnyvale, as owner Kenny Lam poured espresso shots and steamed milk for lattes. The cafe, along with all of downtown Sunnyvale, has returned to pre-pandemic levels of foot traffic and engagement. City leaders and business owners attribute the success to a...